The Tin Soldier: Walking Dead fairy Tale
by Lady of Sign
Summary: This is based off of Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Tin Soldier. Its more of a modern take and I really hope you like it.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first Walking Dead story and its from a Bethyl challenge some time back that I forgot to post. But this is a Walking Dead Fairy tale based on the Tin Soldier story by Hans Christian Anderson. Its 3 chapter so I hope you like this, like I said this is my first time writing Daryl and Beth.**

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The young boy was carrying a small box to his room. He was so excited to finally have his own set of little toy soldiers. Everybody at school was ranting about how much fun they were and how every boy in his grade had one. The moment he got home the little boy begged and pleaded to his father to get him a set, but the little boy didn't know that his family had run into hard times and couldn't afford such things. But the boys father didn't want his son to know about this. So he sighed and placed a hand on his child's small shoulders. "Carl, I might have a box of them up in the attic. Why dont you help me fine it and they can be yours."

Now hours later with they sun almost setting Carl carefully placed the old Tin soldiers in a row until he pulled out the last one and found something different, the last one was missing a leg.

"Hmm, I wonder how that happened?" Just then Carl's mother called for him. "Carl, dinners ready!" " OK, mom."

As she stepped out of his room his mom called out again "Can you get Judith for me? She's been playing for hours now."

Carl sighed, but opened the door next to him and found his sister playing on the floor. "Hey Judy, dinners ready."

The little four year old looked up and smiled. "OK, help me up?" Carl smiled and stretched out his hand only to stop when he realized that he was still holding the soldier in his hand. "Hang on a sec Judy."

Carl looked around to find a spot for the toy and found one next to the music box ballerina. After setting the Tin soldier down he reached for his sister hand "I'll come back for that later." and the two left the room quickly.

Once everything was quiet once again the musical ballerina turned around and smiled down at the new comer. "Hello there, my name is Ballerina Beth." She watched as the Tin soldier slowly hunched his shoulder and mumbled a greeting. "Daryl, army toy." Beth smiled "Yes, I can see." The cautious toy soldier turned around to look at the pretty music box and grumpily said "from where yer standin' I'm sure you can see everything."

The blonde ballerina looked down at her own legs. "Oh! Well I can remedy that." and like a butterfly unfurling its wings, Daryl watched, in amazement, as Beth made her way down to him. When she almost slipped Daryl hopped over to catch her around her small waist and gently put her down, she could only smile bigger.

"Thank you Daryl!" The Tin soldier blushed "was nothin'." Beth shook her head "But it was." Both were quiet for a moment, then Beth started asking questions again. For the rest of the evening they talked about anything and everything that came to mind and they only stopped when they heard booming sounds coming closer. Beth quickly gave Daryl a hug.

"wha's that for?" a blush began to appear on his cheeks "for talking to me. It gets kind of lonely sometimes and...I'm only a music box and not really a toy. So no one likes to be around me." Daryl couldn't believe that and wanted to say so, but Beth was already up on her stand.

As he looked up to her, Beth gave him one last smile "Until next time?" she nearly gasped when he gave a small smile back. "Till next time." Then the two settled in their spots and waited until the next time that they could talk again, both could feel something growing between them, but neither could really name it.

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 **I hoped you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took so long to post this chapter but here you go! I hope yall like it!**

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Chapter 2

It was a few nights later that Daryl found out that Beth had an unwanted admirer. "His name is Negan in the box. At first he seemed like a nice fellow, but he terrified poor Judith and was placed in the dark closet. After that Negan changed, you can't really tell until you do something wrong by him."

Daryl brushed his hand against one of Beth's. "Has he hurt you?"

Beth shook her head "No, but he keeps making advances and saying that he would treat me like a queen." Beth hesitated for a moment "He makes me uncomfortable. He scares me a little."

Daryl held her hand in both of his. "You don't have to worry about him Beth, I'll keep you safe."

The window that was left open let a breeze in allowing the curtains to flutter across the two figures, as if they were in their own little world. Beth moved up to kiss Daryl's cheek "Thank you Daryl."

The Tin soldiers cheek felt warm and he began to mumble when a haunting 'pop goes the weasel' started to play. Beth's face paled and Daryl pushed her behind him. Just then a giant shadow blocked out the moonlight. A circus themed box with an attached body standing taller than anyone Daryl had seen."So you're the new friend that my Prima Ballerina has been so attached too. An old Tin Soldier with a missing leg."

Daryl just stared at the unassuming, but deadly face of Negan. When the clown in the box realized that the broken toy wasn't going to say anything he looked over at his prized possession and smiled. "I haven't seen you in a while Beth, I've been getting lonely. "

Beth stiffed her spine and stepped out from behind Daryl without letting go of his hand. "I'm making new friends Negan."

The clown man just looked at her and without warning he swiped the tiny ballerina in his hand. "You don't get to have friends Beth! You only get to have me!"

Beth screamed in fear and Daryl moved into action. "You let her go ya bastard!" Negan laughed "and what can you do broken soldier?" Daryl glared at Negan "This!"

then he stabbed the deranged clown in the eye making the giant toy howl and dropping Beth to the ground. When Daryl reached for her he moved them towards the window. "Are you ok Beth?"

As he looked her over he found a little crack running across her hairline to the back of her head. "I'm ok Daryl, I'm ok….Daryl watch out!" and before he could think the Tin Soldier was picked up, flung out the window and falling over and over to the ground. The last thing he heard was Beth screaming out his name.

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 **Yes very, very short but I hope you like it! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Im finally posting this last chapter. I dont know who reads this, but Im sorry its taken so long to post this one.**

Chapter 3

As Daryl came to, all he could see around him was grey stone and cloudy sky. That bastard of a toy threw him out a window! He moved into a standing position and looked up to the window where he came out of, it was a long way up. Daryl knew that he had to get back to Beth, he didn't want to imagine what Tegan would do to her. So with that in mind the Tin Soldier hobbled his way back to the house. When he got half way through the open back yard Daryl heard some laughter and had to stop "Damn it!" So the toy soldier fell to the ground, hoping that the humans wouldn't see him and walk away.

Just then two young girls came running around the corner and fell to the ground laughing. The younger one rolled over and spotted the soldier on the ground. "Oh Lizzy look! its looks like one of the toy soldiers that Carl has!"

Daryl was picked up and thrusted into the older girls face "See!" Lizzy frowned and shoved her sisters hand out of the way. "Don't do that Mikala." When Lizzy looked at the tiny toy again she smiled. "Looks like its one of his. Hey! Why don't we have our own battle like the boys do at the park!"

Mikala clapped joyfully "Ok! I'll go get that plastic boat we found last week."

As the younger girl ran to get the boat Lizzy looked down at the Tin Soldier with a contemplative look. "I know you can hear me."

Daryl didn't give himself away, but the statement shocked him. Lizzy lips turned into a smile "Ok, listen up. We're only going to play for a little bit, then i'll take you back to Carl afterwards."

Hope soared in Daryl and he was about to speak up when Mikala returned. "Lizzy are you talking to them again?" Lizzy just smiled at her sister as she put the soldier in the boat. "I am, I was just telling him that he would go back to Carl after we're done."

Mikala sighed while the two walked down to the nearby creek "You do know that they're only toys right? They are not alive right?"

Lizzy only shrugged her shoulders "They might only be toys, but they have a soul just like the rest of us, only smaller."

Mikala huffed in annoyance, but brushed it off and placed the boat in the water. "Ok Lizzy, lets do the count down."

As the two girls started to count down Daryl started to get real nervous. This water looked a lot faster than a creek and he as worried that he could be swept away. Then without warning the two girls let go of the toy boat and followed it quickly, laughing and cheering it on. As the boat made its way down the fast flowing creek Daryl began to notice the water speeding up and getting a little rougher. "Lizzy! Its going too fast! If we don't get it..." "I know Mikala, the lake!"

But the girls couldn't seem to catch up and before Daryl could do anything the boat tipped over and the Tin Soldier sank deep into the water.

As the light began to dim the farther he sank Daryl's mind turned over to his Ballerina, his Beth, and how her smile would shine like nothing he knew and his only regret was not knowing her longer. As he touched the bottom of the lake and was starting to close his eyes the voice of his music box ballerina called out to him. 'Don't give up Daryl! I'm right here, I'm always going to be right here!'

That's right, Beth was still in danger and he couldn't give up now! So with a mighty kick the Tin Soldier began to swim, the only thing that would stop him would have to be something bigger than him!

Sadly it just so happens that a hungry fish was there and swallowed him whole. Daryl yelled in anger "No! Damn it, I can't give up now!" Daryl kicked with his one leg and poked the fish with this bayonet until he became too tired to fight. He only rested for a moment or so then started his fight once more "I'm. Not. Giving. Up!"

During the same time a older man in a fishing boat had been sitting on the lake for hours hoping to get 'The Big One.' He was about to call it quits when his fishing pole tugged hard. "HaHA! Finally got one!" The old man reeled in the fish and shouted for joy when the big lake bass plopped into his boat. "Oh man, you're a whopper! Wait till Irma see this...Oh wait, what's this?"

The old fisherman picked up a toy soldier when it fell out of the fishes mouth "How did you get in there? You look like one of little Carl's soldiers. I'm sure he misplaced or lost you, might as well take you back."

An hour later the old man pulled up to his neighbors house and knocked on the door. "Just a minute!" Shouting of a little girl could be hard and the fisherman laughed. Finally the door opened and a woman with blond hair stood at the door with Judith in her arms. "Oh hey Jessie, hows everything?" Jessie gave a smile. "Hi Dale, everything's going good here. What brings you over?"

Dale then pulls out the tiny toy soldier "I caught a fish in the lake today and, wouldn't you know it, it swallowed this toy. I remember that Rick had given Carl a set and thought I would return it."

As Jessie reached out to take the tin soldier Judith gasped. "My ballerina's Soldier!"

The two adults looked at the 4 year old in surprised "This is yours?" Dale asked amusingly, Judith took the beat up tin soldier with a nod. "Yep, my brother left him in my room. He protects my music box ballerina from the scary clown."

Jessie smiled down at her step-daughter "Well why don't you thank Mr. Dale and put him back where he belongs."

Judith shimmed down from her mother arms and quickly thanked Mr. Dale before running back to her room. Judith carefully placed the soldier next to her music box and smiled. "Now you won't be so scared when that clown comes around." Then Judith points at the Tin Soldier "Now, you protect my ballerina soldier!" Judith snuck a look at her closet and nervously swallowed. "I'm gonna tell daddy to get rid of the clown." '

Just then Jessie called Judith to come down stairs for dinner. Judith looked back at her music box and the soldier smiled and skipped out of the room with food the only thing on her mind.

The moment everything was quiet once more Beth leaped from her stand and fell into Daryl arms. "Daryl I was so worried! When Tegan threw you out of the window I..." Daryl hushed her and held her close for comfort. "I'm ok, I landed somewhere soft and got back here as soon as I could."

The two continued to hug until the sound of someone clapping broke them apart. "The wounded soldier has survived."

Daryl glared at Tegan as he moved Beth away from him. "Yeah and I'm back to settle our fight."

The clown laughed "I would like to see you try." And he lunged at the small soldier. Daryl dove to the left, pulled out his sword and jabbed at Tegan's stretched hand. He made a cut which only angered the scary Jack in the Box and he shoved Daryl back to the open window. Beth yelled out in fear "Daryl, watch out!"

The Tin Soldier teetered on the window sill, but managed to say inside. "Nice try Clown, but I'm not leaving my girl again!"

This only made the clown furious and made a mistake that costed him everything. The moment Tegan launched at Daryl again the soldier waited until the last second and dove the side. Tegan, The Jack in the Box, found himself in the same predicament that Daryl had been and looked over his shoulder to find the Tin Soldier and his Music Box Ballerina holding each other hands. "Noooooooooooo!" and that was the end for the neglected and scary looking Jack in the Box.

After the sound of Tegan breaking into pieces Beth hugged Daryl tightly and wouldn't let go, The Tin Soldier didn't mind and held her just as tightly. "What the hell was that?!"

The voice of Judith's and Carl's father had them splitting apart and Daryl took Beth's hand in his "Lets get you back before the humans come." Daryl let his Ballerina back on top of the music box and before she stepped down Beth called out to him "Daryl?"

The soldier looked at the beautiful ballerina and before she could speak again he pulled her in and kissed Beth with all he had. The humans voices became louder "I think it came from Judith's room."

As Rick, Jessie, and the two kids came into the room no one paid close attention to the Music Box Ballerina and the Tin Soldier standing side by side while holding hands.

 **The End**


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